The Many Colors of Pain
by The Magician Joseph
Summary: The burn-ward of a hospital becomes the scene of an intense drama as two titanic forces clash in a battle of morality. A burn patient known as the hamburger lady gets a visit from both Raven, and the Joker in one night. I such at summaries please R


_Hello what few readers this story may attract. The inspiration for this story is a Throbbing Gristle song called the Hamburger Lady, look it up on Youtube. The main purpose of this work I guess is as a juxtaposition of the Joker and Raven, so please enjoy._

_Constructive criticism is much welcomed. _

Hum click.

The burn ward is silent save for the quiet reverie of the life support systems.

Propped up in a chair is a monolith of pain. The burn nurses speak of her in hushed whispers only, they call her the hamburger lady.

The hamburger lady was once a woman named Denise, now she is a living hunk of organic matter that only understands pain. She is burned from the waist up, her nose is burned off, her skin is a rubbery pulp of weeping burns.

Her arms hang limp by her sides, useless. She can't hold anything; she can't do anything, the hamburger lady.

She gets no visitors save for the few technicians that have the stomach to change the tubes in her legs. The tubes in her legs keep her alive, she eats her life through the tubes. She smells bad.

It has been two weeks since she was admitted into the hospital, since she has been admitted she has only slept three to five minutes at a time. Her sad burned eyelashes close together in a gummy film when she closes her eyes.

Hum click.

Two hundred and fifty pounds of endless pain, the hamburger lady.

Tonight, in her room, in the small stinking room a shadow forms. The shadow is a pool of ebony in the corner, it starts small no bigger than a quarter. And then the shadow grows, expanding in size.

A figure steps forth from the shadow. The figure is not a malignant one though the blood pumping through her veins is tainted. The figure is almost a kindred spirit to the hamburger lady, she understands pain.

The hamburger lady does not see the figure, the beautiful young girl with ivory skin. The girl possesses a certain amount of fame, many consider her a hero, many consider her a monster. She has no proper name, but goes by the name Raven.

Raven feels slightly nauseous as she approaches the woman that was once known as Denise, but her guilt outweighs her revulsion.

Two weeks ago on a moonless night a sadistic cult offered a burnt offering to the demon Trigon the terrible. The burnt offering did not die, her name had been Denise. The cult's intention had been to let Denise live, her agony being more pleasing to Trigon than a mere murder. Because as all of those who play in human suffering know, there are fates far worse than death.

Hum click.

Raven takes two steps forward, she feels guilty for the sins of her father.

Raven steps into the limited line of sight of the hamburger lady, the heart monitor next to the propping chair shows that the heart beat of the hamburger lady begins to speed up.

"I'm not going to hurt you." Raven says gently trying to calm the burnt husk down.

A moment of silence, the hamburger lady is incapable of making any reply to Raven.

"I came to…" Raven's tongue slips over the word, but she manages to grasp a hold of it, "apologize."

"My father is the reason you are hurting."

A single silver tear slides out of Raven's violet eye.

"I'm afraid that I can't heal you, but I have powers… perhaps I can ease your pain."

Raven's delicate hand reaches out tentatively and touches the glistening hunk of meat that used to be Denise's forehead.

Raven focuses her energies forth and pushes her thoughts into the madness filled mind of the hamburger lady. The pain is unbearable it is a symphony of humiliation and physical agony, Raven pushes past the psychic assault of torment into what is left of the psyche of the hamburger lady. She reaches into the good memories that are buried so deep and tries to pull them forth. She tries to bring forth into the consciousness of what used to be Denise memories of beauty and love. Memories of music on a summer's day.

And then Raven's concentration is broken by footsteps. Raven breaks her contact with the hamburger lady and a slinks into the shadows.

The footsteps approach the room and the door opens. In steps a man, skeletally thin. The man like the two other people in the room could easily be considered freakish. The man is bone white, a large grin reveals his yellowed teeth. The man is evil, he is wearing a purple suit. He steps with confidence and his freakish features show only confidence.

The man shares one other similarity with both the hamburger lady and Raven, he is not known by a name, but merely a title. His title is one that strikes fear into people's hearts, the Joker.

The Joker grabs a chair that is sitting in the corner of the room closest to the door and places it in front of the hamburger lady.

"Hello my dear, I must say you look absolutely…" He pauses and then accents the final word with malice, "Delicious."


End file.
